What are the experiences and needs of Perimenopause in Bristol’s Black Communities?

Problem

While public understanding of menopause and perimenopause is improving, the focus is often on white, middle-class women who are over-represented in both research and clinical treatment.

Research has shown that symptoms of perimenopause are experienced differently depending on social and cultural norms. Women in underserved communities often do not approach their doctor about symptoms adding to their existing health disadvantage as highlighted by large cohort studies in the USA with African American women. In the UK, minimal research has been done to look at how women of different ethnic communities experience menopause and if they seek help for their symptoms.

This project aimed to understand the awareness, experiences and concerns around perimenopause in the ethnically diverse and underserved populations of Inner City and East Bristol.

Approach

Funded by a small competitively obtained grant from the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (Bristol) we ran two PPIE ‘listening workshops’ with a group of Somali women and a group of women of African, Caribbean, and South Asian heritage. We hoped to learn:

- What are their experiences and knowledge of the perimenopause?

- Have they, or would they seek healthcare? If not, what would prevent them? If they have, what were their experiences?

- What would they want to know about the perimenopause and how would they want to receive and discuss this information?

Each workshop was advertised through pre-existing community contacts and were held in local community spaces. Participants were provided with a £25 voucher for their time.

Findings

Awareness of perimenopause was high in both groups, but depth of knowledge varied widely between individuals; there was a huge demand for more information during the sessions.

Women in these communities found it difficult to discuss perimenopause with friends or family. Language and cultural barriers were cited as obstacles to seeking support. Participants with experience of symptoms reported negative experiences when seeking help from primary care.

Specific challenges mentioned in both workshops were; strain on relationships due to male partners’ lack of knowledge of menopausal symptoms, lack of understanding and support at work making it difficult to stay in the workforce, and poor access to primary care when seeking help for specific menopausal symptoms.

We had excellent feedback: 78% gave 5 stars (out of 5) for how useful the workshops were and 89% gave 5 stars for how much they felt listened to.

Consequences

Following direct requests and feedback from the community, we have co-produced a digital leaflet that will be translated into multiple languages and created an online resource of links to more general information and to Bristol-specific menopause resources.

Many participants provided their contact details to be involved in future research projects, particularly surrounding menopause and women’s health issues.